Senior Ethics Officer

Org. Setting and ReportingThe United Nations Ethics Office was established by the Secretary-General as an independent entity within the United Nations Secretariat following the approval of the General Assembly at the 2005 World Summit (see Assembly resolution 60/1, para. 161 (d)). Having commenced operations on 3 January 2006, and in accordance with Secretary-General's bulletins ST/SGB/2005/22 and ST/SGB/2007/11, the United Nations Ethics Office's functions include: (a) providing confidential advice and guidance to staff on ethical issues, including administering an ethics helpline; (b) administering the Organization's financial disclosure programme; (c) performing the responsibilities relating to the Organization's protection against retaliation policy; (d) developing standards, training and education on ethics issues, in coordination with the Office of Human Resources Management and other offices, and conducting ethics outreach; and (e) supporting ethics standard-setting and promoting policy coherence within the Secretariat and among the Organization's funds and programmes. The position is located in the United Nations Ethics Office, and the Senior Ethics Officer will report to the Director of the Ethics Office. ResponsibilitiesWithin delegated authority, the Senior Ethics Officer will assist the Director in delivering the mandate assigned to the Office under ST/SGB/2005/22, with the following responsibilities aimed at contributing to fostering a culture of ethics, transparency and accountability across the Organization: 1. Lead the Advisory Services and Financial Disclosure Unit (thereafter “Unit”), including: i) Provide confidential advice and guidance to UN staff and management on ethics-related issues, including ethics standards, practice and applicable legal framework relevant to the responsibilities of the Office; ii) Policy support and advice on professional ethics standards and issues, input into the review of ethics-related policies; iii) Develop position papers, reports and presentations and deliver staff briefings on ethics and integrity issues; iv) Conduct pre-appointment reviews for conflicts of interest for senior positions and provide advice and recommendations to the hiring offices; v) Administer the UN financial disclosure programme (UNFDP) and oversee the financial disclosure process, as well as the confidential database system to track and safeguard information; vi) Provide guidance to participants in the UNFDP on conflict-of-interest detection, mitigation and management; vii) Oversee the implementation of the Secretary-General’s Voluntary Public Disclosure Initiative, including review of public disclosure forms of senior UN officials; viii) Assist with financial disclosure by the President of the General Assembly; ix) Manage the engagement, including the contract management, with the external service provider/UNFDP reviewer, and provide guidance to the UNFDP service provider; x) Manage the implementation of the Memoranda of Understanding with non-Secretariat entities participating in the UNFDP, as well as the service agreement for the development, maintenance and support of the technical platform supporting the UNFDP. 2. Lead the Protection against Retaliation (PaR) and Outreach Unit (thereafter “Unit”), including: i) Conduct preliminary reviews of PaR requests, draft prima facie case findings and review investigation reports to determine whether retaliation allegations have been established; where relevant, assess and propose appropriate retaliation prevention action, for consideration by the Director, in accordance with ST/SGB/2017/2/Rev.1; ii) Conduct secondary reviews requested by personnel of entities that are members of the Ethics Panel of the United Nations (EPUN) of determinations made by their respective Ethics Office in accordance with Secretary-General’s Bulletin ST/SGB/2007/11; iii) Formulate management recommendations, potential protections relevant to the above-mentioned reviews for review and approval by the Director; iv) Collaborate closely with relevant stakeholders, including the Administrative Law Division in the Office of Human Resources, Office of Legal Affairs, Office of International Oversight Services, among others, to update and interpret legislative and governance framework of the Ethics Office; v) Develop for review by the Director the Office’s strategy for the prevention and protection of staff against retaliation; vii) Prepare ad-hoc reports, position notes and presentations on issues relating to protection against retaliation and accountability. 3. Contribute to policy coherence and standard setting, including: i) Assist the Director in providing functional leadership to EPUN to ensure cohesion consistent with ST/SGB/2007/11, and in representing the Office at the Ethics Network of Multilateral Organizations; If so requested, act as secretary of EPUN; ii) Prepare high-level policy advice on professional ethics standards and related issues for review by the Director; iii) Assist the Director in conducting policy reviews and updates in the areas relevant to the mandate of the Office. 4. Outreach and training, including: i) Develop contents of ethics training, public communication, and outreach strategy, including materials of the Office’s website and other online communications for internal and external stakeholders; ii) Design ethics training and information packages; iii) Coordinate the preparation, roll-out and implementation of the annual Secretariat-wide Leadership Dialogue series in collaboration with relevant offices, including the Executive Office of the Secretary-General; iv) Lead the engagement with a wide range of external entities in the development of training and outreach activities. 5. Procurement ethics: i) Act as liaison between the Office and the Procurement Division; ii) Review and advise on credentials of independent experts retained by sanctioned vendors to implement anti-corruption programmes; iii) Provide advice in relation to procurement ethics queries or requests. 6. Other responsibilities, including: i) Assist the Director in effectively managing the Office; ii) Supervise colleagues in the Unit and act as the Unit quality assurer; iii) Assist the Director in a proactive manner in the context of with periodic reviews of the relevant policies and procedures; iv) Contribute to and coordinate the drafting of reports of the Office for presentation to the General Assembly, including the Ethics Office Annual Report, as well as, where requested, and coordinate and provide input into the reports of other entities or other parts of the Organization; v) Assist the Director in appearing before the General Assembly, the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions, the Independent Audit and Advisory Committee, and other policy making organs, as appropriate, by providing substantive input in the preparation of position papers and report for presentation; vi) Perform other duties and tasks upon request and as directed by the Director; vii) Ensuring consistent provision of services by the UN Ethics Office to other UN entities, whether under contractual arrangements or otherwise; ix) Help develop and implement the strategic priorities of the Office. CompetenciesProfessionalism: Proven, analytical and evaluative capabilities; excellent knowledge in legal and/or administrative approaches to defining and managing conflicts of interest and other ethics issues within an intergovernmental setting; proven ability to give guidance and advice to and produce analytical briefing/advisory notes, including for senior managers; ability to identify issues, formulate options, and make conclusions and recommendations; excellent understanding and proven experience in handling conflicts-of-interest, financial disclosure programme and whistleblower protection; ability inspire others to pursue that same direction; and demonstrated leadership experience, ideally in the context of an international organisation. Demonstrates professional competence and mastery in the context of the above-described responsibilities. Is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results. Is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns. Shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations. Communication: Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; asks questions to clarify, and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; tailors language, tone, style and format to match audience; demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed. Teamwork: Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organisational goals; solicits input by genuinely valuing others' ideas and expertise; is willing to learn from others; places team agenda before personal agenda; supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position; shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings. Leadership: Serves as a role model that other people want to follow: empowers others to translate vision into results; is proactive in developing strategies to accomplish objectives; establishes and maintains relationships with a broad range of people to understand needs and gain support; anticipates and resolves conflicts by pursuing mutually agreeable solutions; drives for change and improvements; does not accept the status quo; shows the courage to take unpopular stands. Provides leadership and takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work; demonstrates knowledge of strategies and commitment to the goal of gender balance in staffing. Managing Performance: Delegates the appropriate responsibility, accountability and decision-making authority; makes sure that roles, responsibilities and reporting lines are clear to each staff member; accurately judges the amount of time and resources needed to accomplish a task and matches task to skills; monitors progress against milestones and deadlines; regularly discusses performance and provides feedback and coaching to staff; encourages risk-taking and supports creativity and initiative; actively supports the development and career aspirations of staff; appraises performance fairly. EducationAn Advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent degree) in law, organizational ethics, public or business administration with a significant focus on public sector or administrative ethics or other relevant field is required. A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. Job - Specific QualificationNot available. Work Experience• A minimum of ten years of progressively responsible experience in public administration, human resources management, administrative law, ethics, compliance, staff misconduct and investigation, employee relations, risks management, audit functions, anti-corruption programmes or other related areas within a governmental or public sector organisation is required. • A minimum of five years of experience in providing confidential ethics advice and administering a financial disclosure programme is required. • A minimum of five years of experience in implementing whistle blower protections is required. • Experience in engagement with governance and legislative processes at the international level within the United Nations System or similar international organization is desirable. LanguagesEnglish and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this job opening, English is required. French is desirable. The table below shows the minimum required level for each skill in these languages, according to the UN Language Framework (please consult https://languages.un.org for details).